Poinsettia plant `Bright Red Freedom`

ABSTRACT

Poinsettia &#34;Bright Red Freedom&#34; is a new cultivar, distinguished by bright red flower bracts, early flowering and self-branching characteristics. &#34;Bright Red Freedom&#34; is a naturally occurring sport of the poinsettia &#34;490&#34; (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,825) with the same cultural requirements. The new poinsettia produces a very desirable, early flowering, branched pot plant with bright red flower bracts that do not look &#34;dull&#34; under interior lighting.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This new poinsettia cultivar, "Bright Red Freedom," originated as anatural bright red bracted sport of poinsettia "490" (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 7,825) among several thousand plants of "490" in my greenhouse inEncinitas, Calif. It was selected in November 1996 because of its earlyflowering, bright red flower bracts and self branching characteristics;traits which distinguish it from other poinsettia cultivars, and make ita desirable plant for commercial greenhouse production. The bright redflower bracts of this new sport, "Bright Red Freedom", make a moreimpressive display in retail stores and homes where it retains thebright red bract color. The dark red bract color of the parent "490"often looks dull under interior lighting. The new sport retains the samedesirable dark green foliage as the parent. Otherwise, "Bright RedFreedom" had the same characteristics and cultural requirements as itsparent, "490".

After selection, "Bright Red Freedom" was vegetatively reproduced fromstem cuttings for test purposes in Encinitas, Calif. By subjectingclones of this plant to successive generations of vegetativepropagation, it was demonstrated that the distinctive characteristics of"Bright Red Freedom" held true from generation to generation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Poinsettia "Bright Red Freedom" is illustrated in the accompanying colorphotographs. The upper photo is a side view of 3 single stem plants perpot in full flower.

The lower photo is a top view of the same plants showing flower andbract formation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of this new poinsettia asobserved in Encinitas, Calif., U.S.A. during December 1996. Observationswere recorded from flowering plants, grown as 3 single stem plants perpot. The pot was 14 cm. in diameter and 11 cm. in height. Colordesignations are compared to the 1986 edition of R.H.S. Colour Chart,first published in 1966 by The Royal Horticultural Society, LondonEngland.

THE PLANT

The following chart summarizes the differences between Poinsettia"Bright Red Freedom" and its parent plant "490" (PP No. 7825).

    ______________________________________                                                 "Bright Red Freedom"                                                                       "490"                                                   ______________________________________                                        Flower bract color                                                            Upper surface                                                                            RHS 45A-B      RHS 46A-B                                           Under surface                                                                            RHS 47B        RHS 53B-C                                           Cyathium   Green, fringed light red                                                                     Green, fringed dark red                             ______________________________________                                    

Origin: Naturally occurring sport of Poinsettia "490" (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 7,825).

Classification:

Botanic.--Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.

Common name.--Poinsettia.

Cultivar name.--"Bright Red Freedom".

Form: Shrub.

Height: Short.

Growth habit: As a single stemmed plant, upright with self-branchingside shoot. The application of a chemical growth retardant may not beneeded to restrict height for commercial pot plant production. Iobserved 3 unpinched plants in a pot with an overall height of 34 cm andan overall width of 41 cm. The bract diameter of individual flowers was31 cm.

Branching: Axillary branches will develop and terminate in a flowerwithout pinching. However, it is usually desirable to pinch "Bright RedFreedom" before flower induction and remove all terminal dominance.Then, all axillary branches will develop uniformly and at a faster rate.

Growth rate: Rooting of stem cuttings occurs in 12-18 days underintermittent mist. The plant will flower in about eight weeks undercontinuous long night conditions and night temperatures of about 16-18degrees C. In my greenhouse, poinsettia "Bright Red Freedom" reachedfull maturity on November 20, the same date as its parent, poinsettia"490".

Foliage: The foliage is clean and uniformly dark green from bottom totop of the plant. The leaves are of medium size, leaf blades typicallybeing 13 cm. long and about 10 cm. wide with leaf petioles 6 cm. long.

Leaf shape.--Typical leaves are generally ovate with acute to obtusebases and acuminate tips. Leaf margins are usually entire with a fewleaves slightly lobed with one small indentation on one or both sides ofthe leaf blade.

Leaf surface.--Upper surface -- Smooth and glabrous. Under surface --Finely pubescent.

Color.--Upper side -- Green, much darker than R.H.S. 139A. Under side --Green, between R.H.S. 147A-B.

Retention.--The foliage lasts extremely well even under low lightintensities in the consumer's home.

Bracts: Generally there were 18-24 bright red bracts of various sizessubtending the cyathia. The primary bracts are large, have bladestypically 16-18 cm. long and 10-11 cm. wide with petioles 4 cm. long.

Shape.--Primary bracts are ovate with acute bases and acuminate tips.Primary bracts are lobed with 1 to 2 indentations on either side of thebract. Secondary bracts are elliptic and have entire margins.

Color.--The flower bracts of "Bright Red Freedom" are brighter thanthose of its parent "490", because of less "blue" tones. Upper side --Bright red, between R.H.S. 45A-B. Under side -- Red, near R.H.S. 47B.

Flowers: Generally 15-21 cyathia (flowers) were present when the plantwas in full bloom. Each cyanthium is about 8 mm long and 6 mm wide,green in color, and fringed with light red at the distal end. A yellownectar cup protrudes from the side of each cyanthium. The flower pedicelis also green and about 5-6 min in length. The stamens protruding fromthe cyathia are red. The anthers are bifurcate; the pollen is yellow andcopious. The stigmas are red and trifurcate. Cyathia retention was aboutthree weeks beyond the time the flower was fully mature.

Nectar exudate.--Present, abundant.

Seed formation.--Self-incompatible.

Fertility.--Not observed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new amd distinct Poinsettia plant,substantially as herein shown and described, distinguished by its earlyflowering, bright red flower bracts, dark green foliage and selfbranching traits.